Tuesday, February 5, 2008

Thanks Sheldon

In yesterday's post I offhandedly mentioned Sheldon Brown. A little while later, I learned from reading the comments that he had died. At first, I thought that this was a morbid coincidence. But the more I thought about it, the less remarkable it seemed. This site is about cycling, and Sheldon Brown is as integral a part of cycling as pedals, or chains, or bar tape. (Okay, maybe not bar tape.) So, really, it's not particularly surprising that he should come up.

I've always revered Sheldon Brown for his erudition and wisdom. Knowing that much is rare enough, but being able to communicate that knowledge so clearly to others is even rarer. And sharing it so willingly and wittily is what made him a singular figure in cycling.

Only the strongest personalities can infuse inanimate objects with life, and Sheldon Brown did that. Just go to his website and look at his personal bikes. As much as we all love bikes, I think we all know they're just things. Sheldon's bikes are things too, but they have a signature exuberance; they are simultaneously absurd and practical. In a subculture that obsessively categorizes everything, they defy categorization. When you reach a certain familiarity with bicycles they can sometimes speak to you about their owners, and Sheldon's bikes speak with irreverence. They sing and tell jokes, and they have a Thelonious Monk-like ugly beauty. When you have as much knowledge and creativity as Sheldon did, you can build bikes that follow no template except your own.

There's little danger that cyclists will forget Sheldon Brown. I doubt that there's any cyclist who hasn't consulted his site, or who doesn't still. And as the architect of the cycling canon he's done more for cycling than any pro cyclist, or critical mass, or white bike, or orange bike ever has. No matter what you ride, how you ride, how long you ride, or how long you've been riding, you're a fan of Sheldon Brown.

I was riding home from work yesterday and stopped to help a young girl put the chain back on her cruiser. After showing her how to do it, teaching her about proper chain tension, I came home to read that Sheldon Brown had died.

Coincidence, but it felt like a preemptive tribute to the great man. If we could all be half as helpful and half as un-snobish as he was, this would be an easier world to ride a bike in.

so many bike blogs, so many opinions, yet only one common thread (well, besides the bikes) and that is, and always will be, sheldon brown. thanks to sheldon and thanks to bsnyc for saying it so appropriately. it's funny how much i'll (we'll) miss someone who i've only ever interacted with by email and message boards but never actually met; i wish i had. i extend his family and the cycling community (redundant?) my condolences.

Remember when you first stumbled onto Sheldon's scrappy looking, no frills site and figured he was just some hobbyist, rather than the guy who would teach you basic maintenance and a dozen clever tricks, guide you through your first build, and even enthrall you with articles on random stuff like geared hubs and homemade drop-bolt brake mounts?

In his website alone, there's so much enthusiasm and generosity. He'll continue to inspire and make the world a little better. Thanks Sheldon!

Jeeze, that's sad to hear. Whenever I need to look something up I always hit his site first. Every serious cyclist, especially those who like to do their own maintenance and repair, owes him a few kind thoughts as he goes on his journey.

In every area of human endeavor, there is the first, the one, the only; thus was Sheldon Brown, Capt'n Bike. An American Original, a true innovator, the embodiment of Yankee Ingenuity, a subtle genius.No one will fill his shoes. Let us all be grateful we lived in the same time as he did, and that we were inspired by him.

And let his passing be a reminder to all of us of our own mortality, that our time on earth is limited; and let us ponder the question, what good have we brought to this world?

Go out today and ride your bike for Sheldon, and stop to do someone a favor on your way, and when your come home, be kind to someone that you love.

Sheldon Brown was the ultimate bike geek you can turn to and expect wit, comedy, and knowledge in his answers. I had only the pleasure of exchanging emails with him. Fair winds and following sails Captain.

Publishing Sheldon's website in hard copy would miss the point. Obviously Sheldon intended the website to be free, and he likely expected that it would live on long after his death. The site is hosted through Harris Cyclery, and since Sheldon is the only reason that any of us even know the name of this small shop in a Boston suburb in the first place, I sincerely doubt that they'll take it down.

So we'll have sheldonbrown.com forever, but we'll no longer know about inter-operability between future generations of Dura Ace, and we'll no longer see any new crazy bikes like the one snob posted, nor what movie Sheldon watched last night and what he thought about our presidential candidates.

It's kind of funny how there is always some discussion of all the divisions in cycling, fixed gear hipsters, roadies, tri-geeks, commuters, BMXers, Camelback wearing Mountain bikers, freds... At times like this I really view the cycling community as a whole. Sheldon was the great uniter. His love for the bike easily transcended all divisions in the community.

Thank you Captain Bike. You will surely be missed. You have left an indelible mark on the sport and the website you left behind will be a respected resource for years to come.

I was able to meet & speak with Sheldon at 07 interbike and I can tell you he treated me like someone he had known for years. The man was as humble and funny as he was knowledgeable. I even got a picture of Sheldon Brown, Gene-O and Gary Fisher talking shop in front of the Surly booth at Interbike.

Sheldon was the best. I now seriously regret the times I actually drove through West Newton on when I was on tour and never got around to stopping at Harris and asking if I could meet the guy. When I was in college I wrote him "show and tell" emails basically babbling about a project I just finished with the help of his website, and he always emailed back, even if it was just to say "good for you".

Now that is the beauty of the internet. That he could reach out through his website to share his knowledge with the cycling community worldwide. Otherwise he would have only been able to share with those in his local community.

Thanks Sheldom, I learnt, and continue to learn, much from your articles. A genuinely caring man who stood out from the crowd. RIP

So true, BSNYC. He did more for cycling than any single person or organization maybe in the history of cycling. He could have made a comfortable living writing books about cycling. Instead he became a legend and an example.

It was obvious from Sheldon's website that he loved greatly and was greatly loved.

He wrote that he believed in love and family among other things. He also wrote that he didn't believe in devils, angels, faeries and Gods.

But to many, he was a cycling God -- except without the worship requirement, and the part where folks invoke His will to explain the inexplicable.

Okay, on second thought, not a God, just a guy.

The kind of guy anybody would want to hang out with: funny, smart, interested in all sorts of things, and happy to share his enthusiasm and knowledge.

And by sharing that enthusiasm, he made total strangers a little smarter, a little happier, a little better.

What a guy. What a life.

Those who knew him were lucky. Those who never met him are still lucky. We have access to his enthusiasm and knowledge through a web site that was a labor of love of many things running the gamut from family to bicycles.

I wonder if Sheldon ever slept. I sent him an email only one time and he responded in less than a day. By the looks of this little memorial of sorts, it seems that most of us have emailed him at some point and I'm sure we only represent a very small portions of the world's internet addicted cyclists. How did he do that plus have time to webmaster, work the shop, build crazy bikes, write articles, play intruments, perform in plays, go on rides, hang out with his kids, etc. Damn...that's a life well-lived.

I just learned this at sfba's craiglist, from an ad which is scheduled for erasure. He is an inspiration for all aspiring eccentrics, and that he evoked such a serious post from the snob is a monumental tribute in itself.

I'm pleased people are taking some time to remember him. I'm not normally moved by the passing of people I don't know but I'm hit by this. I've personally spent hours reading up on biopace/fixed gears/wheel building/everything else, and enjoyed his humour and approach.

I just got back from a night out. I tried to raise a toast to Sheldon at one point. Not exactly uncalled for in the event of his untimely death. A person I was with decided to ridicule Sheldon to my face. His language barrier and his dating a friend of mine were all that kept me from beating the shit out of him. I've pummeled people for less and enjoyed it. The nerve of this person was appalling, but I can't deal with him the way I would any other person. How do you explain what Sheldon did through the language barrier of German elitism? How is any german cyclist feeling superior anyway?

The trick with Germans is to simply begin laughing loudly in their faces while refusing to say why. Drives them nuts and doesn't empower the way a punch does. S.B. wouldn't want us to go around punching on his account, not even silly German Elitists. Rest in peace, Sheldon.

Nice post, BSNYC. To the committed, riding a bike is not a trend or a fashion and I think SB epitomized that. No posing or ostentatious posturing, just riding what you needed to ride the way you wanted to ride.

Sheldon was such a nice guy. I just traded emails with him 2 weeks ago about elliptical chain rings and within an hour he'd added a treatise on the subject to his website. He was the 'answer man' for all manner of bike questions. He will be missed.

Bikesnob, lovely tribute. Along with at least two hundred other bike people Sheldon was corresponding with, I was a lucky recipient of his encouragement (I had been harpooning for compliments on my blog) ... in his last week on this planet. I will have to re-up my subscription to a heaven where cyclists add verses to the "Wheeliad", thereby flagrantly challenging Sheldon's practical and emphatic non-belief in angels...Is that too long a sentence? I am confident the 150 comments your post generated will remind bikers who never heard of him to LOOK HIM UP. And maybe someday the book that resides on his computer hard drive will come to light (he'd mentioned that it lives there, in need of not only a publisher but an agent to hawk the thing in this day where books need agents more than ever, esp. if the author no longer lives to defend/tend it) JP Sheldon fan, Bikesnob fan too

the same thing happened to me two nights ago. the guy strated talking like he couldn't care, or even, that he was glad. nearly got up and left. instead i told him off, saying that whether he liked it or not, every single person who rides a bike today has been effected or helped by Sheldon at one point or another. he didn't really have anything to say to that and the night went on. i don't think our friendship will be the same.

to those interested: not long ago I asked Sheldon if I could contribute to his site or offer up a donation in his honor, and he requested that any donations be directed to the MS Society. Donations in his memory would be a fitting tribute.

Great blog! I really love how it is easy on my eyes and the information are well written. I am wondering how I might be notified whenever a new post has been made. I have subscribed to your rss feed which really should do the trick! Have a nice day! Best Online Casino

Sponsored Linkway:

About Me

While I love cycling and embrace it in all its forms, I'm also extremely critical. So I present to you my venting for your amusement and betterment. No offense meant to the critiqued. Always keep riding!